The yeah write micro-stories challenge opens today on its new day!
Called the pangalactic gargleblaster or the gargleblaster for short, the micro-stories challenge at yeah write answers the ultimate question in exactly 42 words. Led by editor Christine, it’s been quite the party since being introduced a few months ago, and it usually reaches its 42-entry limit within a few hours.
This week, besides moving the gargleblaster from Mondays to Wednesdays, we’re asking our gargleblaster writers to take a different approach. Instead of writing as fast as they can to fill up the challenge as fast as they can, our writers will be slowed a little by our submissions editor who will be reading each entry for story structure, style and compelling narrative. Micro-storytelling is an art in itself that requires discipline and the commitment to several rounds of drafts and edits. Though tiny, the word count must make a powerful impact on the reader.
Answer the ultimate question in exactly 42 words: why do you keep doing this to us?
This is the required prompt for the challenge. You must answer the question without referring to the question itself in either the title of the story, the title of your post containing your entry, any footnotes or other explanations to your readers. The gargleblaster should stand on its own, answering the question and reading as a complete story without your taking 100 additional words to explain what you’ve written. Any words surrounding your gargleblaster will be counted against your 42-word limit and, dude, you won’t have the extra space.
The top 42 entries will be revealed on Thursday
We will open to a popular vote the top 42 entries by the time voting is to open (all on three challenge grids) on Thursday. You can enter only one micro-story, but the grid itself will be unlimited as the entries are being submitted. The 42-entry limit will apply to the popular and editorial staff voting selections. So many changes, so much to new stuff to understand. Email us or head over to our pages on Facebook and Twitter with any questions.
Fall season writing contest coming October 19
To celebrate our fourth fall season, we will be hosting a four-week writing challenge on each grid: non-fiction, fiction|poetry and micro. The winner of the challenge can win $100 cash. If you invite a friend to the challenge and your friend wins instead of you? You each get the $100 cash: your friend for winning and you for referring the winner to yeah write. At this writing, there will be one winner across all three challenges, and you can enter all three throughout the four-week period. What I would do, though, is concentrate on entering 2-4 really solid pieces during that time (as opposed to 12) and bringing in as many writer friends as possible. Either you will win outright, earning the winner’s 100 bucks or one of your referrals will win, earning you 100 bucks.
Right now, we have $200 in prizes, but hopefully by the time the contest kicks off, we’ll have more to award the best writers on each grid. If the winner arrives at yeah write without a referral (or has been around so long, we are the referrer), we’ll keep that money for another writing contest. Spread the word. More details and explanations coming by yeah write #180, including news of loosening up someone else’s wallet. Spirits are generous around good writing. If you have any prizes you’d like to donate, please email us.
Why do you keep doing this to us?
The yeah write #179 weekly writing challenge is open is open for micro-stories: fiction, non-fiction, haiku, whatever. Answer the question in exactly 42 words by clicking the link below.
The new format/photos are great! Eye-popping.
Excited to see how this new method turns out! I have a request to make, which I’ve had since I started participating. This week I was unable to keep the pingback while changing the link to open in a new tab. In the code you provide, can you let the link open in a new tab? Or tell me how to fix it on my blog, without losing the pingback? Thanx.
Kymm, I’m not sure if I understand your question. Can you play around with those terms in Google to see if you can either find the answer or give me an example?
Usually I copy the yeahwrite image in my blog and it lets me ‘change’ (between ‘properties’ and ‘remove’ when you click on the image), and a little window pops out with the URL and ‘title’ and a box I can check that says open this link in a new window. The way the yeahwrite pingback code is set up, there is no ‘change’ option, so when I click on the yeahwrite image, I leave my site to go to the yeahwrite site, as opposed to having both my site and yeahwrite site open.
Basically, I’d like the code and/or image you have on the side bar to include the ‘open link in new window’ option, if possible.
Thanks, k
Okay. You can add target=”_blank” to the HTML code once you’ve pasted it into your post. It will go after the permalink (or backlink) to the week’s current post and before the a closing tag. As long as the backlink isn’t altered, you can customize the code to do whatever you like.
Perfect! Thank you, Erica!